Ted Cruz on the 'defeatist attitude' of Republicans

In an interview with the Dallas Morning News, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) gave some extremely interesting answers to Todd Gillman's questions. Perhaps the most insightful exchange came when Cruz gave his psychological assessment of Republicans inside the beltway.

Via DMN:

Q. You’re 10 weeks on the job. What have you learned? Has anything surprised you? Is there anything that you’ve needed to retool in your approach?

A. The biggest surprise has been the defeatist attitude of many Republicans in Washington. A lot of Republicans felt beaten down, and that there was nothing they could do to stop the erosion of liberty in this country. I have been encouraged that the last several weeks have demonstrated that there is a great deal we can do to turn things around. Indeed, if you look at the vote on sequester, the filibuster on drone strikes and the vote on defunding Obamacare, for three weeks in a row, Republicans have stood together for principle. And in doing so I believe we are winning the argument. We are doing what the American people expect us to be doing, which is standing for principle, defending liberty and defending the Constitution. I am hopeful the pattern of the last three weeks will prove a recurring pattern going forward. I believe that’s the direction Republicans need to go.

Q. This defeatism is among incumbent senators?

A. Yes. I’m referring to those who have been here a long time and have suffered some difficult election results and who I think were discouraged about being able to get anything done.

Q. So it sounds like you’ve been teaching them a few lessons. Is there anything that you’ve learned on the job yet?

A. What I think all of us have learned together is the power of leaders standing for principle. You asked what I learned. I can tell you the most inspirational moment since I’ve been here has been Rand Paul’s filibuster. When Rand Paul went to the floor at 11:47 am, many of his colleagues viewed what he was doing as curious if not quixotic, as an endeavor that was doomed to failure. … It captivated the attention of the American people as millions of Americans watched Rand Paul and others standing for principle and began engaging directly in the process, on Facebook and email and Twitter….. As a result of Sen. Rand Paul’s courage, the Obama administration was forced to concede in writing that it lacks the authority to kill a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil.

It is amazing that elected Republican officials felt beaten down because their conservative base felt beaten down by the unwillingness of those officials to fight for them.

Read it all.

The question Bill O'Reilly didn't ask Marc Lamont Hill in interview about Christopher Dorner

"...If I was insensitive to the families, I offer them my condolences, but.." - Marc LaMont Hill on the O'Reilly Factor 2/14/13

The reason Columbia professor Marc LaMont Hill appeared on the O'Reilly Factor was because of his comments during a panel discussion on CNN a day earlier. During that discussion, Hill seemed to heap praise on cop killer, Christopher Dorner while making reference to Django Unchained and calling the comparison 'exciting'.

First, check out the short clip of Hill on CNN that led to his appearance on the O'Reilly Factor:



A day later, Hill appeared on O'Reilly's show. The host was right to confront Hill and didn't go easy on him but he did miss a huge opportunity to expose Hill for who the Columbia professor really is. While Dorner murdered several people, he was also a cop killer. Hill knows another cop killer quite well. In fact, quite well. His name is Mumia Abu Jamal, sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing police officer Daniel Faulkner.

In 2009, Hill allowed Jamal to write a weekly column for the former's website and introduced the cop killer thusly, via NewsReal:

I am thrilled to announce that Mumia Abu-Jamal has joined the Barbershop as a weekly contributor!! His column, Live From Death Row, will appear every Wednesday starting next week.

Mumia Abu-Jamal is one of the world's most celebrated journalists, freedom fighters, and political prisoners. Since his early days in Philadelphia, Mumia was an active member of the Black freedom sruggle. From his award-winning journalism to his involvement with the Black Panther Party, Mumia has devoted his life to Black liberation. Wrongfully incarcerated since 1981 for the murder of Officer Daniel Faulkner, Mumia has continued to place a spotlight on various forms of injustice around the globe through his numerous columns, commentaries, and books. Mumia has generated international support for his own case, which has been one of the most glaring and repugnant reflections of the criminal (in)justice system.

So, in 2009, while giving a cop killer a weekly platform, Hill referred to that cop killer as a 'political prisoner' and was 'thrilled to make the announcement'.

In 2011, Hill and Jamal co-wrote a book entitled the Classroom and the Cell, which consists of very comfortable and agreeable exchanges between the two men. In fact, Hill likely found it 'exciting' to publish the book.

You can watch the interview between O'Reilly and Hill below but once again, when presented with an opportunity to expose a creature of the left for what he truly is, folks like O'Reilly take a pass. Are we to believe he didn't know about Hill's collaborative work with Mumia Abu Jamal? Considering that Hill used to be a Fox News Contributor who made regular appearances on O'Reilly's show, that's hard to believe. Even if it were plausible, it's an indictment of the Fox News host's research team. It's also false to call it irrelevant; it's extremely relevant because it makes the case against Hill that the professor is trying to prevent from being made.

The likely answer is that O'Reilly just didn't want to go there, a dynamic not all that dissimilar from Mitt Romney not wanting to call Obama a 'socialist'.

How'd that work out?

Via MediaIte:

Videos: Andrew Breitbart Smacks Down MSNBC Interviewer

Andrew Breitbart appeared on MSNBC for an interview with Martin Bashir to promote his new book, Righteous Indignation: Excuse me while I save the world. If anyone on the right needs a case study on how to deal with Alinsky smear tactics, just watch this video because Bashir lays it on thick. At one point he holds up a picture of Obama's face on a chimpanzee and asks Breitbart what he thinks of it. It was truly the visual equivalent of the notorious question, 'When did you stop beating your wife?' It was truly pathetic on the part of Bashir but Breitbart turns the tables on him and wins hands down.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

After that interview, Breitbart appeared on Steve Malzberg's radio show and challenged Bashir to prove that he actually read Breitbart's book - like he said he did during the interview. Breitbart threw down $10,000 to sweeten the pot.

Via Breitbart TV

VIDEO: 60 MINUTES PIECE ON HOUSE SPEAKER ELECT JOHN BOEHNER A TEAR-JERKER

I'm really finding myself ambivalent about John Boehner's crying. On one hand, the Tea Party has been screaming that Washington politicians are detached from what's actually going on in the country. It could be that the true gravity of the dire situation America is in has actually reached Boehner - the crying may reflect him actually 'getting it.' On the other hand, he needs to project strength. After all, he will be 2nd in line for the presidency after Biden.

Then there is the issue of how he was portrayed by liberal journalist Leslie Stahl on 60 Minutes. On one hand, they showed him in his angrier moments when he was yelling, "Hell No" about the thousands of pages of legislation passed behind closed doors but never presented the source of that anger - it was that no one read the bills. On the other hand, the piece repeatedly showed him crying. So on one hand, he's angry and on the other hand he's crying.

Hmmmm. With all these hands, someone should hand him a bullhorn and a box of kleenex.

via Breitbart

VIDEO: BRET BAIER DOES IN 20 MINS WHAT MSM HASN'T DONE IN TWO YEARS

It would not surprise me in the least if Obama and his handlers are regretting the interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, who has always struck me as a serviceable news anchor. No more. After this interview, I have a newfound respect for him. The way he handled Obama in this interview was unmatched. He'd done his homework and was not intimidated by Obama's repeated attempts to limit the number of questions asked by delivering his trademark rambling answers.

One might argue that Bill O'Reilly challenged Obama in that noteworthy interview but what Baier lacked in theatrics he more than made up for in substance. Obama came across as angry and Baier as persistent yet courteous, often getting Obama to appear defensive and obviously uncomfortable answering questions that got to the heart of people's problems with this health care monstrosity. Baier also read from a Fox viewer's email asking why so much arm twisting. Obama's response? He didn't respond to it. Counting all of the questions Obama didn't answer is a tall order. Good luck trying.

Note early on how Obama claims he doesn't pay much attention to the procedural rules in the House or the Senate, that he only cares about voting for health care reform. Sounds to me like Alinsky's "ends justify the means" thinking.

This interview, start to finish, is a MUST SEE.

Part 1



Part 2

Robert Stacy McCain to be on Barrack Show July 19th

Known as "The Other McCain", Robert Stacy McCain has been all over the Inspectors General scandals involving AmeriCorps, Amtrak, and the International Trade Commission. We'll talk to him about all of them on the show. McCain also has claimed that a 4th IG has contacted congress and that "The name of Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) was mentioned in an indirect way."

We'll see what he can tell us about that AND the newly filed lawsuit by AmeriCorps IG Gerald Walpin, who is claiming he was unlawfully fired.

McCain writes for the American Spectator and maintains his own blog.